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4 New Jersey 55+ Communities Offering Residents Transportation

Don't drive, want to cut down on driving, or your car is in the shop? These communities make it easy for you to get your weekly shopping done.

If you are an active adult home seeker looking for retirement communities with homes for sale in New Jersey, you are probably considering location, housing costs, floor models, and amenities.

You might also want to think about any services that the neighborhood offers its residents that are designed to make their lives easier. This can include landscaping, snow removal, trash removal, and other maintenance that is paid for by homeowners’ association (HOA) fees.

One of these services you may not think of is community transit. This service is a huge perk for active adults, especially for those who do not drive. Community buses often have weekly trips scheduled to places like grocery stores and shopping malls. For those who do drive, this can come in handy when they are not able to do so for any reason.

Communities also use buses to transport passengers to special events, like Atlantic City trips, and movie nights. Below is a list of some of our favorite 55+ communities that offer community transit.

Surrey Downs - Freehold

Surrey Downs' community’s bus service provides rides to Monmouth County medical facilities, the Howell Senior Center, and area shopping spots. Its Saturday shuttle transports residents to nearby 55+ neighborhoods too, which is a big plus. Route 9 is also just a mile away, with a Howell Park & Ride that offers NJTransit access. The highway has plenty of markets, pharmacies, shops, and banks, plus Freehold Raceway Mall is about three miles away.

Surrey Downs has 443 single-family resale homes built between 1986 and 1997. Great for downsizing, they range from 760 to 1,383 square feet, with one to two bedrooms and bathrooms. Some feature garages, two master bedrooms, Florida rooms, decks, lofts, and upgraded kitchens.

An HOA fee covers lawn and common area maintenance, trash and snow removal, and recycling. The residents here take care of their homes’ exterior maintenance, which keeps monthly costs down.

The clubhouse is overseen by a community manager, and it has an indoor Jacuzzi and fitness center, hobby rooms, an outdoor pool, and tennis. The yoga class, men's club, and travel club are some of the most popular activities at Surrey Downs.

The Villas at Jumping Brook - Neptune City

The Villas at Jumping Brook is an intimate, gated community of just 168 single-family homes. It's located smack dab in the middle of everything you need to maintain a low-maintenance lifestyle. The Jersey Shore Outlets, a Home Depot, a Costco, a Wegmans, and a Walmart are all right in the area, and the community’s bus helps homeowners get to several of these stops with ease.

Generously sized, the homes range from 1,695 to 2,727 square feet, with two or three bedrooms, two bathrooms, and attached two-car garages. They are thoughtfully designed, with eat-in kitchens, cathedral ceilings, covered patios, and wooded lots.

A private clubhouse has several activity rooms, a catering kitchen, and a library. The outside property has an outdoor pool, bocce, tennis, walking trails, and gardening plots. Friends and neighbors gather together to enjoy book club meetings, garden club, workouts in the exercise room, and holiday events.

Cedar Village at East Brunswick

Cedar Village at East Brunswick is a distinctive condo community with 184 units in desirable Middlesex County. It is in a citified, bustling area not far from the New Jersey Turnpike, making it easy to get to New York City, Princeton, and other major metropolitan areas.

Homeowners appreciate its formal, gated entry, meticulous landscaping, and the community bus that takes them to the East Brunswick Senior Center.

The condos are divided up into five buildings that have elevators and assigned parking spots. They range from 1,212 to 1,870 square feet, with two bedrooms and bathrooms. All have luxurious master suites with well-appointed master bathrooms. Larger models include great rooms, libraries, and dining rooms.

The Club at Cedar Village has a computer room, fitness center, and a catering kitchen and ballroom. During the warmer months, sun lovers head out to the outdoor pool and spa The clubhouse also hosts many special events, like cooking classes, men’s pool nights, Super Bowl parties, and holiday get-togethers.

The Villages - Howell

Located in Monmouth County, The Villages is a well-established active adult neighborhood with 670 resale attached homes. Howell is just east of Route 9, where residents can find every type of store and service imaginable, like Garden State Flower Market, the popular Woolley's Fish Market and Seafood House restaurant, a Starbucks, plus everything else they need. The free community shuttle makes getting to these destinations quick and easy.

The six cozy ranch style models are sized from 952 to 1,545 square feet and include one to two bedrooms and bathrooms. A select number of these residences also have garages. An HOA fee covers common ground landscaping, trash and snow removal, interior maintenance, and the community bus.

Homeowners here like to keep busy, and they do so by working out at the fitness center, using the hobby and game rooms, or socializing by the outdoor pool. The property also features walking & biking trails, ponds, shuffleboard, and bocce. The long list of group activities includes the Howell Senior Friendship Club, line dancing, movie nights, a walking club, aerobic classes, and holiday parties.